Christmas tree lighting system



June 1957 w. H. DUCKWORTH ETAL 2,795,768

- CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed April 18, 1955 firm O PLUSlNl/f/VTOR. Wsle fifllmkwalfi lillia mi'fiames By /M J,

4r 0 NEY United States Patent CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING SYSTEM Wesley H.Duckworth and William E. Barnes, Stockton, Calif.

Application April 18, 1955, Serial No. 502,102

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-99) The present invention relates to improvements ina Christmas tree lighting system, and has particular reference to asystem in which a main line of conducting wires is made to follow thetrunk of the tree and branch lines are made to radiate from the mainline at spaced points to spread over the branches of the Christmas tree.

A system of this character has the advantages of greater freedom ofarranging the lights on the branch lines and of better distribution ofthe lights. It also takes some of the weight ofi the branches, hides theconductors and makes them less visible, and leaves the branches clearfor displaying the Christmas tree ornaments.

A special problem is presented in this system in connecting the branchlines to the trunk lines and one of the major objects of the presentinvention is to provide novel connectors including plug and socketconnections provided in the main line at spaced points correspondingsubstantially to the spacing between the branches of the tree, and meansincorporated in the sockets for connecting a series of branch lines,preferably four, to the main line.

Our invention has been particularly developed in connection with pairedconductors, in which two insulated wires are adhesively, but separably,arranged in side-byside relation and are connected to pin-pointedterminals by merely pressing the conductors upon the terminals so as tocause the pin points to pierce the insulation and to make contact withthe wires.

This arrangement allows any number of lights to be readily applied tothe conductors at any desired spacing.

The characteristics of this arrangement are also made use of in ourinvention in establishing a simple six-way connector insertible into themain line at any desired point, with four branch wires radiatingtherefrom and connected into the circuit, the connector beingconstructed in such a manner that it also readily lends itself to theincorporation of additional branch wires.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be presented as thespecification continues, and the new and useful features of ourChristmas tree lighting system will be fully defined in the claimshereto attached.

The preferred form of our invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view disclosing the general arrangement ofour lighting system;

Figure 2, a plan view of our connector;

Figure 3, a plan view of the connector, with the cover removed;

Figure 4, a plan view of a cover for the connector, in invertedposition; and

Figure 5, a section taken along line -5 of Figure 2.

While we have shown only the preferred form of our invention, it shouldbe understood that various changes or modifications may be made withinthe scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figure 1 shows the 2,795,768Patented June 11, 1957 general arrangement of our lighting system ascomprising a main line 1 adapted for placing along the trunk of aChristmas tree, a plurality of connectors 2 inserted in the main line atspaced points, with the spacing corresponding substantially to thespacing between the branches of the tree, and branch lines 3 radiatingfrom the connectors.

The lines used in our invention are of the well-known paired Wire typecomprising heavily insulated wires 4 arranged in parallel and adjacentrelation and adhesively, but separably, interconnected, as at 5.

The wires are adapted for cooperation with terminals having pin-pointsprojecting therefrom and may be connected to the terminals by merelypressing the wires upon the pin points, which latter then pierce theinsulation and electrically connect with the wires, which are usuallymade in numerous strands.

Electrical lamps made for use in connection with these wires can bereadily applied at any point, by separating short sections of the wires,pressing the wires upon the pin points provided in the lamp socket andsecuring the wires in place by means of heads screwed upon the lampsockets.

This arrangement is well-known in the art, and therefore, notillustrated specifically in the drawing.

Our connector 2 comprises in its main features a socket 6 and a plug 7connected into the main line 1, and a plurality of branch lines 3extending transversely through the socket.

The socket may be in the form of a rectangular housing having a base 8,side walls 9 and end walls 10 and a registering cover 11.

The base 8 has a central partition 12 of insulating material risingtherefrom, the partition extending lengthwise of the housing andoccupying only an intermediate portion of the length of the housing.

Two channels 13 of conducting material are mounted on opposite sides ofthe partition in inverted positions, each channel comprising an innerwall 14 lying adjacent the partition, an outer wall 15, and a bottom 16,which may be made in the form of separated webs.

The inner walls are of the same length as the partition,

- but the outer walls extend lengthwise beyond the inner walls, and theextremities 17 of each end wall are bent toward the other end wall so asto present spaced and parallel blades, the spacing corresponding to thespacing between the center-lines of the paired conductors.

The inner walls 14 are similarly spaced.

The channels are secured upon the base or the partition in any suitablemanner, and the inner walls 14 and the bent-over extremities or blades17 have pin points 18 projecting from the upper edges thereof forpiercing the insulation of paired wires pressed downward thereon.

In the use of our socket, the ends of the paired wires of the main lineare pressed upon the inner walls 14- of the two channels, and the twosets of paired wires of the branch lines are pressed upon theextremities of the outer walls so as to extend through the sockettransversely with respect to the main line.

The inner walls of the channels are somewhat lower than the bent-overextremities so as to allow the branch wires to clear the main linewires, and the upper edges of the extremities on the entrance side ofthe main line should be grooved, as at 19, to allow the wires of themain line to be accommodated therein.

The outer walls 13 of the channels are also used as a connecting meansfor the plug 7, the prongs 20 of which engage upon the outside of saidwalls.

The conduct-ing wires may be pressed upon their respective pin points byany suitable means, as by thumb pressure, and any suitable means may beprovided for holding the wires in place.

In the preferred form of the invention, we use for this purpose, thecover 11 illustrated in Figure 4, which is provided with a central block21 registering with the inner walls of the channels and formed with abottom groove 22 fitting over the two main. line wires andtapplying.proper pressure thereto when the cover-is positioned on the body of thesocket.

The cover also has clamps 23 registering with the extremities 17 of theouter channel wall toencompass and bear on the branch wires for holdingthe latter under pressure against the pin points 18.

As a matter of convenience in assembling, the main and branch line Wiresmay be first positioned in the block and between the clamps of the coverin a manner shown in Figure 4, and then pressed upon the pin pointsbyinverting the cover and pressing the same upon the base structure, thecover being held in place by any suitable means, as by the bolts 24.

In use, each section of the main line is provided-with a plug 7 at oneend, and with a socket 6 at the other end, the first section being. madelong enough to extend. from a wall socket to the Christmas tree, and theother sections corresponding in length to the spacing between thebranches along the trunk of the tree. The section, of course, may bemade somewhat longer because excess length will be readily concealed inthe tree.

After a line of suitable length has been assembled, the line may beapplied to the tree, with theconnectors arranged at the height ofvarious stages in the branch formation of the tree, so that the'fourbranch lines issuing from each connector may be artistically spread overthe branches of the tree.

Christmas tree lamps may then be applied to the branch lines at desiredpoints, if they have not been previously applied, and the Christmas treeis readyfor lighting.

We claim:

1. In an electrical system of the character described, a socket having abase and a pair of conducting channels mounted upon the base in invertedpositions and in'parallel and spaced relation to each other and havingconfronting inner walls and outer walls projecting endwise beyond theinner walls, the extremities of each outer wall being bent toward theother outer wall-so as to present the extremities in spaced and parallelrelation.

2. In an electrical system of the character described,

a socket having a base and a pair of conducting channels 4 mounted uponthe base in inverted positions and in parallel and spaced relation toeach other and having confronting inner walls and outer walls projectingendwise beyond the inner walls, the extremities of each outer wall beingbent toward the other outer wall so as to present the extremities inspaced and parallel relation, and the inner walls and the extremitieshaving pin points projecting upwardly therefrom so as to allow pairedand insulated conductors to be electrically connected thereto bypressure.

3. In an electrical system of the character described, a socket having abase and a pair of conducting channels mounted upon the base in invertedpositions and in parallel and spaced relation'to each other and havingconfronting inner walls and outer walls projecting endwise beyond theinner walls, the extremities of each outer wall being bent toward theother wall so as to present the extremities in spaced and parallelrelation, and the inner walls and the extremities having pin pointsprojecting upwardly therefrom, and a cover for the base havingpairedrancl insulated conductors mounted therein in registering relationwith the inner walls and the extremitiesso as to he pierced by the pinpoints for establishing electrical connection when the cover is pressedtoward the base.

4. In an electrical system of the character described, a socket having,a base and a pair of conducting channels mounted upon the basein'inverted positions and in parallel and spaced relation to each otherand'having confronting inner walls and outer walls projecting endwisebeyond the inner walls, the extremities of each'outer wall being benttoward the other well so as to present the extremities in spaced andparallel relation, and the inner walls and the extremities having pinpoints projecting upwardly therefrom, and'a cover for the base havingpaired and insulated conductors mounted therein in registering relationwith the inner walls and the extremities so as to be pierced by the pinpoints for establishing electrical connection when the cover is pressedtoward the base, the base and the cover having registering Walls aboutthe rims thereof tofor-m an enclosure for the electrical connections.

Toelke Mar. 8, 1938 Janz July 25, 1944

